Mission CORN
by Brownies-Have-Feelings
Summary: Tsuruga Ren, Japan's number one secret agent, says that love is a distraction and avoids it at all costs. But when a he trains a hazel eyed girl to be his partner in his next mission, will she be nothing more than a tool?
1. Who the Hell Is This?

Chapter One: Who the Hell is This?

What I need is a day in luxury; a day at the beach, a day at home with a bottle of vitamin water. That's all I ask for. That's all, just a little time alone, for me. I could be in my roomy apartment, right now, lying on my leather couch, watching the latest drama, with a cold bottle of water in my palm. I'd be at peace, with no worries of the outside world, and caring about someone I don't know and his complications with those in higher powers. Why? Why aren't I doing these things that I dream of every night? Why? It's because of this job. This important, dangerous and nerve wrecking job: the job that many would kill for. Or in my case, are being killed because of…

I'll never know how or really why I've been put in this position I'm in. All I've known for the last three years is that the Japanese government chose me. The rest of the reason is locked away, somewhere confidential, hidden from all eyes.

It's not like I've ever wanted this. No, not at all! My career was headed for a life of fortune and fame, for a life that I was going to get after that afternoon at the LME audition. I was headed for a role in Japan's most anticipated thriller. The leading role at that thank you very much. I had practiced every night for a whole year for that part. Night after night I did different impressions of the character. I tried walking differently, talking differently, and even tried to put myself in the character's head while I went on with my day. But with this job, acting is as important as the coloring of the floor tiles. All of that work for nothing...

Now here I am in this cramped office, with an annoying ticking clock, a hickory colored desk, this brown leather chair, and my laptop. Not the homiest of places in the world, correct? But I have to make deal with everything here. Well, if there was one thing that I wish they could change for my own sake, it would be-

"Mister... the... see you."

Ugh, that retched intercom. I press a button on the machine on my desk. "Ms. Yee would you repeat that please? The intercom is still crackling and I cannot understand you." I say sweetly, although I much rather would enjoy pounding this junk into smithereens.

"Sorry... Is this better?"

"Ah, yes perfect!" I say, knowing good and well that speaker would crepitate at any moment.

"Yes, well Principal would like to see you in his office now,"

"My, my, he wishes to see little old me? Before lunch? Doesn't he need his daily smoke and soap opera before seeing me?" I laugh for a moment enjoying my moment of teasing my boss and close friend. My chuckling is stopped short as the other end of the intercom becomes silent.

"Hello?" I ask making sure that Ms. Yee is still awake. I chuckle at a sudden snort, and mumbling. She's so old, I sometimes think it's a miracle she's not dead yet.

"Oh, um yes! Sorry about that… it's-"

Oh great just what I need. The intercom is acting up again.

"Ms. Yee? Can you hear me?" I ask.

"Yes… Principal… you… important… assign…now!" Before I can say another word, she cuts off, leaving me to strain the words together into an comprehensible sentence.

Well, I guess I should get going. Swiftly grabbing my jacket, I walk out the door, and down the hall, passing the many offices of busy colleagues. As I reach the door to Principal's office, I hear someone call my name. I spin around to see one of my close teammates, Yashiro Yukihito, or aka Spectacles. (Terrible name, everyone knows it, but after a mission that left him with bad eyesight we had to call him that. Especially since his old code name was 20/20, and well, let's just say that's not the case anymore.)

I smile at him as he catches up to me. We quickly bow to one another. "Hey Specs," I greet him. "What's going on?"

"Nothing really, you know the same old thing, decoding documents, faxes and whatever. Headed to Lory's huh? Thinkin' about getting a partner?"

I groan inwardly as he wiggles his eyebrows suggestively. He always acts like this when his inner match-maker wants to make a scene. And somehow I think calling him a match-maker is an understatement. I bet 1,000 won he's my heaven-sent-Cupid who's ironically trying to make my life a living hell. Anyway, for a while now Specs has been trying to get me 'out of the Singles Club' and has been desperately trying to pair me up with a particular agent.

I look up to him with a generous smile. "It's nice of you to be looking out for me Specs, but I really do not have any interest in her. We're just good friends." I glance behind me to see the woman I am referring to. Her long black hair is tied into a ponytail that reaches her hips. Her back is to us, so we cannot see her face. We watch as she furiously types away on her desktop, and occasionally takes small sips out of her mug. I've worked with her only once, but we never made contact before. She replaced an agent who was in charge of directing me during a mission after he was called away to see his family. I will admit she's a strong woman of many capabilities. But, I'm not ready for any type of relationship right now...

At that moment, nearly he becomes hysterical. He throws an index finger at me and has a cheesy grin on his face. "Hah! So you two have a chance!" he smirks.

Before turning away from him and his comical stance, I grab ahold of his shoulders and look him square in the face. "Firstly Yashiro," I say, my voice in a small whisper, "I said 'friends'. Like what you and I are. Got it? Second, let me remind you that I have no interest in dating anyone at the moment. Much less flirting, understand?"

I tried to get it through him the best I could; I even said his real name. But, of course his smirk widens at this. Others would have shook in slight fear at the tone that my voice is in. But, with this guy, I could hardly get anything past his thick skull.

"We'll see," he says with a sly grin as he spins on his heels and strides away to his cubicle.

Over the time I've worked in this facility,I've gained many experiences, friends, and the occasional pain and anxiety. Sometimes I wish Yashiro wasn't the one that mainly causes that pain and anxiety. I shake my head as I walk inside the office of Lory Takarada aka Principal.

Inside, my nose meets stench of Petit Coronas(1). The blinds are closed, the lights off, and it seems as if no one is in the room. The nearby fireplace slowly dies as the last flames sweep around the mantle. I don't see Lory anywhere. But I know that this is a small part of the dumb game he seems to enjoy playing. I rub my temples as the smell of the cigar fogs around my nostrils. Why can't he open a window like a regular person? I look around to see a wide desk chair facing the opposite from me. On the other side are puffs of smoke rising.

"You called?" I ask aloud to the individual in the chair.

After a few more smoke circles rise in the air, the chair slowly turns to face me. In it, who else but Lory, dressed in expensive exotic clothing, and staring at me with narrow almond eyes. They are not full of irritation like they are when he usually sees me, but they almost look secretive, indecisive.

Hmm, well this is new. I see him pointing to a couch that is nearby. I cross across the great floor and take a seat in leathery cushions. Glancing back at him, I watch him inhale some of the polluted smoke, before flicking the cigar on an ashtray. His eyes stare at mine, I wait for him to speak but his lips remain still. It doesn't take long before I become agitated with the silence. What is his deal? Is he going to tell me why I am here or not?

"I called you here to explain some important news Ren." He tells me before I open my mouth.

I nod and respond, "Of course, now do you mind explaining the reason for asking to see me?" My voice is bored and my words, rehearsed. "I was in the middle of documenting some very interesting facts," I chuckle somewhat amusedly.

This isn't the first time I've been called here you know. The very first time I arrived it was because of a mistake I had made during a commission. I wasn't chastised or anything of that sort, I was simply told to never make the same mistake again and the consequences were explained. Ever since then, it's been because of other small "mistakes" that I've made. (Well to Lory they were mistakes, for me they were, well, I like to think of them as slight improvisations.)

"Ren," I hear his heels click against the floor as he paces behind me. "This isn't about any of your mistakes."

My head spins to him. What?

"It's not? Not at all?" I don't believe him.

"Nope," he shakes his head, "You see Ren, I have actually decided on proposing a rather large task for you."

I roll my eyes. Of course a new commission, what did I expect? I sigh. "Where am I going this time?" My arms cross over my chest.

He laughs under his breath, slightly surprising me.

"It's actually who are you going with." He winks at me which causes me to groan.

"Oh Yashiro, what have you done this time?" I mutter to myself.

"He had nothing to do with it, Ren," I flinch when one of Lory's hands pat me on my shoulder as he bellows out a laugh.

I glance up at him with the same confused look as before, watching him sit beside me in an exquisite armchair. "Then, _you_ decided on this?"

He nods. "But, the person you are thinking of is not the same."

Not the same? There's no one else in the whole operation who can work on the same level as me besides her and a scarce number of colleagues. Lory knows it, I know it, Yashiro knows, everybody in the whole building knows this piece of information! Who on earth could it be?

"Who's this? And where can I find him?" I snatch a piece of paper off of the table in front of me, along with a pen. He holds up his hand as I begin to overrun him with questions.

"They are not on this floor."

Not on this floor?

"They are not here in this building."

Not here in this building?

"In fact they have nothing to do with our network or operations."

Have nothing to do with any of our operations or networks? This guy… who the hell IS he speaking of?

"Who is this?" I demand with a frown.

He looks at me with the most devious smirk I have ever seen. Now I'm worried. I listen and watch his lips whisper the name.

"Mogami…"

* * *

**A/N: So this is the first chapter! I hope you are enjoying this! I had fun writing it!**

**R&R!**


	2. Need a Moment?

**Chapter Two: Need a Moment?**

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

_Flashback: This guy… who the hell IS he speaking of?_

_"Who is this?" I demand with a frown._

_He looks at me with the most devious smirk I have ever seen. Now I'm worried. I listen to him as he whispers the person's name._

_"Mogami..."_

* * *

Mogami... The name tumbles in my mind. It seems foreign, distant, but actually a bit familiar. Who is this per-**HOT!** My hand pulls away from the water sprinkling from the shower head. I gently massage the burning flesh. "Dammit," I mumble as I rub my knuckles. Quickly turning on the cold water, my tall figure leans against the wall, my mind no longer on my aching hand, but about the rest of Lory and my meeting.

_The room was silent; both of us waiting for the other to either respond or continue. "So, this person's name is Mogami," I said under my breath. My head turned to Lory, who was smoking yet another cigar. My nose twitched as he puffed a smoke circle in my direction. I frowned as the smoke filled my nose. _

"_So *cough* this person's name is Mogami..." I held out a hand out to him, expecting him to place a small booklet in it. He only stared blankly at my palm. "Well?"_

_He raised an eyebrow, "Well what?"_

"_What do you mean what?" I questioned, thinking he had asked a trick question, "Where's the information on Mogami?"_

"_Oh, that," he said nonchalantly. "I don't have it."_

_I snorted at this. What is this, his idea of a joke? The government always had a stack of papers for him, almost every month; there it would always be, sitting in his mailbox. Just waiting for him to read. How could he possibly not have the information? It was required for every new agent. _

"_Nothing?" I asked a hint of sarcasm in my voice. He only shook his head and inhaled some of the grey smoke. "You mean you have nothing at all? Not a single sheet of paper? Not a little paragraph? Not even a short sentence?" _

_His eyes narrowed, as if he was becoming irritated by my constant questioning. "...I said nothing didn't I?"_

_I slowly nodded and placed my hand back in my lap. My eyes focused on his face looking for a sign of mischief. His eyes were dark and serious. Oh, he was not kidding. I scratched the back of my head, slightly puzzled._

"_Will I receive any background report of any kind later?" I asked him. I knew that I shouldn't have pushed him like that, but I needed something! I couldn't accept just anyone, you know. I needed to know if the person had a drug record, or was taken to trial for any reasons, what profession they had before being selected, etcetera. And I mean, couldn't I at least know what Mogami's gender is? Well, it does sound like a female's name… but you can never be too sure! They could be a transvestite! Ew… I regret thinking that. _

_Lory grabbed my attention when he walked to the door and opened it. His face appear grim as the cigar's light casted a dim fiery glow to his face. His voice seemed like a whisper as he said, "You're dismissed Ren."_

_I slowly nodded, and headed towards the door. But then, before leaving I remembered something. I turned to him. "You still didn't tell me whether or not I would receive a report of any kind." _

_He didn't look at me. "... I'll let you know when I receive any news of Mogami."_

_I still had one question left. "Wouldn't you know this person's gender since you... winked at me?" _

_The reason behind that wink could only mean that it's a woman. Since he and Yashiro seem to be in a secret convention of some kind to get me on the band wagon for dating. Which we knew wouldn't happen for a long time, so they might as well give up._

_His mouth formed a slight grin. "You can take the rest of the day off Ren," he said trying to avoid my question, although his grin gave it away. "Take care of yourself." And with that I walked out of his office, hearing the door shut and the lock click._

I combed a hand through my wet hair, and sighed. I need to know about this person…woman. I need to know more about this **woman.** I lifted my head to feel the warm droplets dot my face. What kind of profession will she have in this department? Does she have a Bachelor's degree? Or what about what she majors in? Biology? Chemistry? And how old is she?-Wait… I sound like I'm thinking about a blind date.

I shake my head. I need some sleep; it's been a long day. Turning off the water, I wrap a towel around my waist, and head to my bedroom. So I don't bring my clothes with me when I take a shower. I do not remember the last time that has been a crime!

As I walk towards my bedroom my cellphone rings. I walk into my living room finding it on my couch. The screen flashes the name Specs. Oh boy.

I flip open the phone and speak in a terribly sweet voice, "Hello Yashiro, what can I do for you?"

"Hi Ren," he says. "I was just wondering why I haven't seen you after your meeting with Lor- I mean Principal." He said. The concern in his voice makes me grin.

He probably thinks that Lory suspended me after realizing that I had made yet another 'mistake'. I'm glad he cares about my career, but doesn't he know that I really can't be suspended? I'm too useful in this operation for that.

"I appreciate your concern Specs, but it was nothing serious, he just gave me the rest of the day off." I half lie, making sure that I sound sincere.

"What? No fair!" I can tell that he's pouting.

I laugh, and walk into my bedroom. "Oh? And why's that?"

"I never got a day off!"

"Now that's not true! He gave you the day off when you got a cold!"

"If you call giving me some paperwork instead of going to a meeting a day off then yes, it was."

I laugh again at his argument. "Alright alright, I'll give you that one."

He chuckles, "Yeah... so what _did_ he talk to you about? I know for a fact that he didn't' just call you to tell you to go home."

I sit on the edge of my bed, as my mind paces for a moment. Should I tell him? Should I tell him about my new partner? About how know nothing about this partner except the name and gender? Should I give him the upper hand on trying to control my love life by even telling him the gender at all? I consider my all of my options and soon I form a conclusion. Hell no.

"We have a new agent coming our way," my words carefully come out.

"Oh okay then. Was that all?" he asks, not believing me entirely. "It seems like it should be about something more to get the rest of the day off."

Wow, he's a smart cookie. "Well," I pause. "He needed my opinion about... him"

"Why? Principal never asked for anyone else's opinion. And besides, isn't it really just his business on whether or not to accept people?"

Huh, he catches on fast doesn't he? "The thing was," Think Ren, think! "Since he didn't have much background information on the... man, he needed to see if I could help him decide on if he should accept him."

The other line is quiet for a moment. I consider hanging up when I hear Yashiro again. "That makes sense I guess."

I feel a wave of satisfaction wash over me. At least my lying tactics still work! Even with the slight hesitations.

"Yes. Well, I'll see you tomorrow. I'll just watch a movie or something and go to bed." I say wanting to end the conversation, while trying not to be too rude.

"Sure, bye." I flip my phone close after he hung up.

Now wearing a loose pair of pants and a T-shirt, I flop onto my couch, and turn on the television. I flip through channel after channel, not really paying attention to the screen. My mind is focused on the fact that I created a lie. I pretty big one when you think about it. I said that Mogami was a man... I didn't tell Yashiro that _she_ was going to be my partner. And now when _she _comes and tells to him that _she's_ my partner when _she_ meets him!

As I stop on a channel with a commercial on, I slump. I'm in deep trouble now... My hand combs through my hair as I look up at the screen. An advertisement for a chocolate bar comes on. In a café a woman hears her boyfriend's phone ring and looks at the message. She frowns when he returns with the drinks.

When he sits next to her she holds up the phone and says, "Someone named Toyo says 'I need to see you now?"

Suddenly he looks nervous and time immediately stops.

A male voice says, "Need a moment?"

The man proceeds to eat a piece of the advertised chocolate, while he looks around.

When time starts again he looks at his girlfriend and says, "You know Toyo, my boss! He's very demanding."

The woman laughs and kisses him, "I'm sorry, I thought it was something else." When the phone rings again she looks confused. "He said, 'don't forget the whip cream?'"

He laughs and stutters, "F-For the coffee."

Now the commercial ends with the girlfriend laughing and her boyfriend reaching for the phone with a worried look on his face. As the show comes to view on the screen, I can honestly say, that if there was ever a time I wanted to eat a piece of candy that would be my choice. Because I know I need a moment to think this through.

* * *

**A/N: Wow, this story is off to a great start! Loved your reviews! Keep it up for more! Your reviews are my inspiration! :-)  
Oh and also:**

_Flashbacks are italicized and in past-tense_**  
**Present is regular and present tense

**Makes sense? Okay awesome!**

**P.S. I'm pretty sure you knew what chocolate bar I was referring to in the commercial! Right? And the name Toyo is an androgynous Japanese name, just to make that clear. **

**Now press that pretty button on the bottom please and tell me what you think! ;-) **


	3. May I Know in Advance?

**Chapter Three: May I Know in Advance?**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Skip-Beat! It belongs to the rightful owner, ****Nakamura Yoshiki.**

_Flashback: _ _As the show comes to view on the screen, I can honestly say, that if there was ever a time I wanted to eat a piece of candy that would be my choice. Because I know I need a moment to think this through._

* * *

56...57...58… 59…1…2… I'm pretty sure you're wondering what on Earth I'm doing. Well, when you find yourself awake at the crack of dawn, staring at the LED numbers on your clock, and seeing that you woke up an hour before the alarm; it's rather difficult to fall asleep. Whether it is anxiety, a bad dream, or an uncomfortable lump in your mattress, when you cannot fall back asleep, you just can't.

Take me for example. Here I am on my side counting the seconds changing on my clock, feeling the heavy weight on my eyes, and my body is succumbing to the effect of sleep deprivation as time goes by. It's not comfortable in the least, but as I said before, my body is tired, and I do not have the energy to go through the horrid process of waking it up.

Another minute goes by. I try to move my arm… oh God… I feel paralyzed! I try to move my other arm, only to feel a heavy tingle surge through it. A heavy sigh leaves my lips. Well, I have 30 minutes to try and rest. Maybe I'll feel a bit better after some more sleep. So with that in mind, I close my eyes, only to hear the worst sound in the world…

**Ring ring… Ring ring...**

My eyes immediately shoot open at the unwelcoming sound of my cell phone. Sighing, I slowly lift my head to glare at the device. The sight of the caller's number nearly causes me to cover my head with a pillow. But instead I slowly grasp the ringing phone. The sudden tingling in my sluggish arm makes me shiver as I open the phone.

"Hello?" My voice comes out sounding tired; not surprising in the least.

"Morning, I'm assuming you've enjoyed your day off?" the familiar voice asks.

I rub my arm, trying to get rid of whatever sluggishness is left in it. "Why yes, I did. Thank you."

"That's good, because you have a pretty busy schedule ahead of you, and you're going to need _a lot_ of energy to get through next month," the person emphasizes the phrase 'a lot'.

"Next month? What is so different about next month?" I ask sitting up against the headboard of my bed, placing an arm behind my head.

"You begin the mission," I hear papers shuffling as the voice continues, "Also you'll have new training sessions and weapons, so you'll have to go through heavy-duty preparation."

I inwardly sigh and close my eyes. Yes, and I also have a UNP, Unidentified New Partner; that I started a lie about.

"Oh, and Principal wants to see you immediately," the voice says strictly.

I raise an eyebrow. He wants to see me for what purpose? I thought he said mostly everything he had to yesterday. "Am I allowed to know the reason in advance?" I ask.

A short snigger is heard through the receiver, "He knew you would ask that," they say haughtily, "So he told me to decline that action. Sorry."

I slowly stand, and proceed to walk towards the bathroom. "Fine, tell him that I'll get there as soon as I can."

"Will do." And with a click, we disconnect. I run a hand through my tousled hair. This is going to be a _long_ month.

* * *

**A/N: Who's the mysterious person? Why does Lor-er, I mean Principal want to see Ren? :-O ooh! **

**Ello! It's me, Brownie-san! Now before you yell at me for taking so long to update AND for making this such a dull and rather (okay extremely, maybe hellish even!) short chapter, I would like to start off by saying I had a case of writer's block. And it was mainly because I had an idea and I was preoccupied with writing down a couple of plots for it. What is this idea, you say? Well I had a thought of taking a few chapters into Kyoko's perspective. (Random idea isn't it? I thought it could help lead up to her joining the agency.) **

**Now then I hope I made you wait long enough, and I would like your opinion on the idea. So please press the button located below, and tell me if you want a few POV's from dear Kyoko. :-) Thank you guys for your support! I absolutely adore it! And again I apologize for this chapter, it's fugly I know. But hey, lazyRen!**

**Don't worry! I have the next one down on paper!... Somewhere in my house...**


	4. You Know Don't You?

**Chapter Four: You Know, Don't You?**

******Disclaimer: Don't own Skip-Beat! It belongs to the rightful owner, ****Nakamura Yoshiki.**

_Flashback: "Fine, tell him that I shall get there as soon as I can."_

_"Will do." And with a click, we disconnect. I run a hand through my tousled hair. This is going to be a long month._

* * *

Setting my car into park, I slip out, making sure to lock the car door as I begin walking towards the agency building. For a moment my eyes gaze over the dim lit structure of the glassy and steel built features of the skyscraper. Tinted windows spread from corner to corner on all 28 floors. The light of the rising sun shines thin rays on the windows, casting reflective shines. I feel strange saying this, but I have begun taking pride in this pile of glass and steel. What was once a place I despised most has become my second home. Hm, must be because it hardly seems as if I have time out of my office. I'll never fully understand anytime soon.

At the entrance of two large glass doors, I punch in my door's lock number, place my thumb on the fingerprint scanner, and finally slide my I.D. card through the card slot. Once the card is scanned a click tells me that the doors are unlocked. Walking inside the building I walk through the foyer, making sure to give a quick smile to Ms. Yee, heading for the elevator. Inside I push my floor number and lean against the wall, hearing the soft muzak from the small speaker on the elevator's wall. My god why do we need this? It's so annoying…

As the elevator continues upward I look behind me, seeing a dark tint of Tokyo behind me. Slowly my mind wanders to the situation at hand; to figure out why Lory wants to see me so early in the morning. Well, yes I do wake up extremely early compared to the hours of some of my friends outside of my job. But I was instructed to meet him a good half hour before my alarm. I feel my brow furrow as a thought passes my mind. Does he finally have information on Mogami? The light sound of the elevator's bell interrupts my thought process. My eyes watch as the floor number blinks the number… Wait… this isn't floor 24, its floor six. I look up to see the doors reveal the person who I spoke to earlier.

She enters the elevator and stands next to me, not bothering to push a floor button. Her sharp lavender eyes are focused on the closing doors. A small frown is firm upon her lips. Her body displays impressive posture. She is wearing a navy blue business suit along with a white button up shirt underneath her jacket, black heels, and a small brown shoulder bag. We acknowledge each others' presence with a quick nod, but neither of us says a word.

I silently watch as the floor numbers increase. Floor seven… Floor eight… Nine…The elevator continues to ascend upwards, neither of us speaking. 10… 11…12-

"…You know, don't you?"

I look down at her, but she doesn't make eye contact with me, "E-Excuse me?" I ask slightly surprised that she is speaking.

She sighs as if she's talking to an idiot. "Principal, you know why he requested your presence, don't you?"

I think for a moment. Well I _do_ remember what he told me yesterday…

_"... I'll let you know when I receive any news of Mogami."_

A sound of her sighing makes me look back down at the woman next to me. The sight causes my heart to stop for a moment. Her eyes are now piercing grimly into my brown ones. If looks could kill, I would have dropped dead from the temperature my body is feeling. Nonetheless our eye contact stays firm as she continues, "You know that its here, don't you?"

I dumbly nod not fully understanding what she is saying because of the rather distracting look in her eyes.

Her eyes suddenly become soft as she says, "You don't know what you're getting yourself into."

I raise a brow. What does she mean by that exactly? What I'm getting myself into? "I've taken care of many missions before, and I've always came out in one piece. You and everyone else in the agency know this, so what's the problem?"

She shakes her head. "No!I know that! It's just about... Mogami," her eyes look into mine again. What's this? Is there compassion in her blue orbs? "I just want you to know," she raises a hand and tugs on my tie to bring my face closer.

My heart jumps. What does she think she's doing? "Now listen, and listen closely, because I'm only saying this once, and it better stick. She's more than just an agent." Her voice glides to my ear like a breeze, and I shiver. Her hold on my tie releases and she returns to her original stone like posture, leaving me in a frozen state of confusion and a loose tie.

Finally, we hear the elevator's bell. We both turn to doors as if nothing had happened. As I step out, I feel a tap on my shoulder. I turn to see her, with the same face as when she first stepped on the elevator; sharp like ice. "…Take care of her," And with that I nod as we both exit the elevator, and begin to walk down the hallway.

"Remember what I said," she whispers as she turns towards her cubicle.

"I will, Agent Hoshi." I shoot a promising wink to her. She then nods and sets a headpiece on her head and begins to work on her computer.

I continue to walk down the hall towards Lory's office, when a vocal's _'Psst'_ catches my attention. I swerve my head to the right to see Specs waving his hands, beckoning me (in a rather silly manner at that) to his cubicle. I sigh and quickly walk over to him. Oh dear, I could see that smirk a mile away.

His creepy smile is stretching from his left ear to his right one. His eyes are squinted in a… I don't know how to categorize it… a perverted fashion? He smiles which makes his mouth open a bit to show a toothy grin. Yes, that's what it is, perverted. Wait, is he staring at my tie? My eyes lower just a bit to get a look at the tie's condition. Oh damn, I forgot to fix it.

My arms fold across my chest as I look down at his pathetic form. "What is it Specs?" I ask already knowing the answer.

He uses a hand to comb through his hair as his features begin to relax. Now he has a small generous smile plastered on his face. Oh please, was I born yesterday? I know what's going inside of that blonde haired, glasses wearing pervert's mind! Ways to get me and that agent together.

His voice comes out smooth, like a suave car dealer's, "Well well, lookie here. I see you and Agent Hoshi have decided to have a nice _'chat'_..." he pauses to look at me, a devious flash in his eyes.

I roll my eyes, "Don't say it Specs," I grumble.

He grins to edge me on, "In…"

I frown, "Please Yashiro," I swear I am getting sick of his dirty mind.

"The…"

"Yashiro," I growl out of my teeth, but I know it's futile to try to get through someone as strange as this guy.

"Elevator!" he giggles hysterically as he watches my expression change from annoyed to pissed. I glance around to see a few people stop and look at us. I only wave them away and wait for my sick friend to finish laughing, whenever that will be.

Soon he calms down and places his head on his palm. "Ah, I have such fun edging you on like that Ren, I think I'll do it again sometime!" he chuckles, completely amused by his childish trick.

I let out an agitated sigh as I turn on my heels for Lory's room. "You're going to ask her to '_help'_ you '_fix'_ that tie?" I hear him ask behind me, with a short laugh.

"I don't have time for this Specs!" I yell back at him as I continue to walk down the hall, ignoring any stray glances from the other workers. When I finally reach the doors to Lory's office, I push them open, to find him hovering his desk, his forehead creased in a serious expression. When he looks up at me he tosses a vanilla folder to me, which I catch from reflex. The light folder only has the letters M and B on it in thick cursive handwriting, and I think I know what they stand for.

"Ren, I have a feeling you already know what information that folder holds, correct?" he questions me not looking away from the papers on his desk. I answer with a quick bow, and with that he waves me away from his office.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Back inside my own office, I quickly rip open the envelope and pour out the contents onto my desk. Well let me just say first off it's not what I expected it to be. Instead of a pamphlet, or a stack of papers, or even a disk, I see some sort of silver sleek miniature tablet. My hand grasps around the object and I observe it. It is metallic silver, the size of my palm, and has a small surface with four black buttons. One of the buttons in particular catches my eye. It has a small red dot on it, while the others are blank.

"Hmm, wonder how you're supposed to operate this thing." I ask aloud to myself. After fiddling with the tablet, I finally find myself pressing the button with the red button (the most obvious choice, yes?). The results surprise me to a great extent.

As soon as my finger leaves the button, a small antenna rises from it. A small thin blue light flashes, on me, apparently scanning my body. Once the light and antenna return inside the tablet, a robotic voice from the tablet says, **"Access confirmed."**

"What the-?" The unsuspecting voice surprises me, and I drop the tablet on the floor, luckily no damage is evident on it. A second later, I see a projection appear in front of me, showing the following message.

**CODE: AGENTx109 **

**TITLE: MOGAMI**

**TIME FOR FILE'S DURATION: 0 HOURS 15 MINUTES REMAINING**

"So I have 15 minutes to get all of this knowledge about this new agent?" I shrug to myself, that's simple enough if you ask me.

Another voice and image coming from the projected screen catches my attention. The following words are spoken by a robotic voice.

**"Code Name: AGENTx109  
****Real Name: Mogami Kyoko  
****Age:16  
Sex: Female  
****Height: 5' 5" (165.1 cm.)  
****Weight: 126 lbs.  
****Eyes: Topaz  
****Birthplace: Kyoto  
****D.O.B: 12/25/19XX**

**History: Mogami was born and raised in Kyoto Prefecture in a household of a single mother, who appears to have abandoned her in childhood and is not able to be located. Before being placed in permanent care of childhood friend's parents, she was left by her mother in said people's Ryokan.**

**When Mogami was 16, she moved to Tokyo with the same childhood friend leaving her education and life in Kyoto behind. Working various jobs allowed Mogami to live in an expensive apartment with her male friend. **

**Current Home: Mogami is currently living alone in Tokyo, in a hotel: Senren Hoteru  
****Occupation: A role in a soon to be complete drama remake of Dark Moon and a part time job at an inn. She also recently goes to school at a high school that is specialized in accommodating students working in show business and their hectic schedules."**

My eyes blink... and again... and again... just baffled by what the screen shows me. What in the world has the world come to when a high class _government_ spy only has **seven sentences** for a background? I shake my head and concentrate on the information. Not very hard considering there is not a lot to read. But the article-er _sentence_ I keep scanning over amazes me, to a certain extent that is. '_A main role in a soon to be complete drama remake of Dark Moon_.' You have to admit, it's not everyday you get to read that type of sentence in a spy's portfolio. Well, a sentence about anything related to a career like acting for that matter.

Hmm, I wonder what part she had in the drama... I've heard about it, it's supposed to be a remake of the director's father's original drama. Now that I think about it I think I saw it once when I was channel surfing. (...I know it seems like I waste my time working in my office, watching television, or sleeping, but truth be told I'm not lazy, alright?) It was very interesting, plenty of twists, heart breaks, and suspense. But something about the new remake makes me think that it's going to better than the original. It must be the new actors, their energy is quite different, especially the actress for the character, Mio.

But wait, if she had an important part in the program, wouldn't they easily notice her disappearance, and try to ask questions? Then wouldn't that lead them here? And when they get here, they would decide to slowly question the government about our department. Then it would even lead them to finding out about our next assignment, and broadcast the information to the media! Then-! I shake my head to clear my mind of the Whirlpool of Worry, and focus on the topic at hand.

Now then, what is the government thinking? Sending a _kid_ to a government spy agency? What do they think this is, a game? I take a deep breath to stop my mental rant. Alright, so maybe I'm over reacting a tad. I mean I was nearly a child when I was recruited. Well not exactly, but I was younger than a majority of the workers here.

A short flash catches my attention. I see the screen disappear before my eyes and a card seems to slip out of a camouflaged slot in the tablet. Picking it up, I see an image of a teenage girl. I observe the photo and realize that Mogami is not what I have been expecting at all.

Before reading any information of the woman, I imagined... well a _woman_ first of all -certainly not a high school girl. A young_ woman_, with the appearance of an intelligent college student, or professor. And -like many of our workers- her hair would be in a tight bun, her make-up lightly coloring her complexion, and she would be wearing a nice top, like a top of a suit or a sweater and vest, something with a touch of professionalism in it.

But this picture in my hand is anything _but_ that. Instead, I see a young girl no older than 16. Her long black hair is messily covering her shoulders and is in a ponytail. Her natural light face is accompanied with a pink tint of a blush. Her hazel eyes are wide, showing confusion in her orbs. My eyes narrow at the sight of her top. A uniform... like one of those from a fast food restaurant.

I step back, sliding into my leather swivel chair, and begin to turn in small circles, keeping my eyes on the photo in my hands. I wonder how a face like this was able to get a part in the drama. I stop turning clockwise and begin to spin in the other direction. Well, I'm not trying to insult the girl's looks. I mean she's not ugly -not in the least- but... she's not exactly Miss Japan. Alright, so I would rate her as sort of cute, it's because of the expression in her eyes. It just tickles me, and makes me wonder how she felt being told _'Hey you! Follow us into this black car so that we can train you for 5 years to crack codes and secretly keep Japan's government secret documents from the wrong hands!'_ So that may not be their exact words but, oh nevermind you get it, I'm merely exaggerating.

I may not be much older than her, maybe three or four years, but this profession has done something that cannot be undone. I've grown up and matured past my own years to those to a 30 year old (at times I kind of wish the same for Specs, but even though he is older than me, he had the reverse effect). A painful result of having this job: having the wits and thought process of someone 10 years older than me. I mean, although this job has sped up my mature level, I haven't even enjoyed my life as a young man.

That's part of the reason why I wanted to be a part of the entertainment industry; why I studied that character so much. I was actually trying to avoid becoming old with no interesting events in my life, or any fun experiences... Like acting, or maybe hanging out with a few friends at a club, or just taking a ride on a motorcycle (without the _'follow the grey van mission'_ attached) and feeling the wind brushing against my face. I just wanted a normal life of someone as young as me, before my entire life passes before me.

This young girl still has time to enjoy the things in life that all young people should enjoy. Just by seeing her innocent face and the top of her uniform, you can see that she has time to peruse a more exciting and successful career. She can still hang with her friends at school, or at a club if she wished. She can think about traveling the world for fun and adventure. She can also think about things such as..._ romance_. I stop spinning to chuckle in spite of myself and begin to spin the other direction. Pfft romance? No thanks. That kind of emotion will get you shot before your own comrades by the woman you thought was your true lover. You could ask Katsuo... well if he was still here, I'm sure he'd be glad to explain it in vivid detail.

Still circling in the chair, I lean back into the cushion and lift the picture, in the sunlight coming through the windows. A few minutes pass, and soon the minutes combine into an hour, of me only looking at the picture, my mind baffled. But soon, the stern expression on my face lifts. Not just to a smile, but into a large grin. And pretty soon, I feel a tinge of... laughter in my lungs. And soon I'm staring at the picture, laughing up a storm, about my own imaginary inside joke. I'm not laughing at the fact that a child is going to be recruited with me on a mission, I've already gotton that thank you very much. But it's that I'm now fancying the silly idea! Me, Tsuruga Ren is actually tickled by the idea of working with this Mogami kid.

I stop in front of my desk and take out my wallet, then slide in the girl's photo behind many of my other cards to hide it from plain sight. Hm, now I can't wait for the next mission training session to start. A sound from the at first silent tablet grabs my attention to see it flashing a red light on the screen. The same robotic voice as before speaks a message, **"Self Destruct Mode will commence in five minutes." **

...Oh dear. I pick up the tablet to notice small red digits ticking like those on a bomb. I'm aware of these type of messages, those so secret that allowing another government agency to see them could create chaos and the selected agent could become in great danger.

Hmm, knowing first hand the consequences of having such messages, I think I'll have a bit of fun with it.

Now where was I? Oh yes, I'm now in the elevator going up with the tablet in my hand. I see the time is now at two minutes and ten seconds. Just enough time. The elevator stops with a ding and I head slowly down the very long hall towards Lory's office, being sure not to attract any attention whatsoever, ye walking slow enough that some time could pass by for my plan to work. I even take a few small detours in my walk down the hall. When I finally reach the door I look back down at the tablet at hand, the red numbers shine twenty seconds. I grin. Perfect!

Knocking on the wooden door, I hear Lory walking to the door. I also smell his cigar's stench getting stronger and stronger. When he finally opens the door I hand him the tablet, and fortunately- well for me- he doesn't pay attention to the screen and he simply nods and blows a ring of smoke near my head as he closes the door.

As I hear him walking away, I lean a ear near the door and smile in a scary way, almost like Specs. _10... 9... 8... 7... 6... 5... _Inside as the last seconds tick away I hold in my laughter as I hear the last electronic beeps from the tablet, warning Lory about the self destruct mode. When my boss begins to figure out what was happening, heh, let's just say that any profanity or curses at me used at all, are covered by a small _BOOM!_

I quickly walk away from the scene as the smell of smoke, not cigar smoke but regular smoke, begins to leak out the keyhole. I hold my stomach and a small grin forms on my lips when I hear a muffled, "**Tsuruga!"** I shuffle near Specs cubicle. He notices me and my expression and shakes his head. He beckons me to his cubicle in a serious manner, and I obey, still grinning at my small personal joke.

When I stand close enough to Specs that only we can hear our conversation, I notice his lips tug at the ends, holding back his own chuckle. 'So," he whispers, "You got him?"

My grin stretches a bit more to answer his question. He then covers his mouth with one hand as his shoulders shake. He grabs one of my hands and shakes it firmly.

"You sir have made my day."

* * *

**A/N: Oooh! Who's Agent Hoshi? (Not an OC, I'll tell ya that! See if you can guess who it is in the manga ;-P) And why is she so concerned about Kyoko? Plus, Ren is actually interested in this task, will he stay interested when Kyoko arrives? Stay tuned for more! :-D lol**

**...Yeah, I can't really explain why this took me soooo damn long, but in the end you got a nice chapter, am I right or am I right? So I apologize for that and I hope this chapter makes up for my abrupt absence. **

**So yeah I think I made Ren a lil' OC, for the joke part, but hey this guy is a lil' OC at parts in the manga anyway. So that makes up for it, right? (heh I say right and so alot, right? ...It's rhetorical... So don't answer that kay?)**

**And who got the reference? :-D *holds hand up for high five* . . . anybody? No?  
Well ****I anyway I got the exploding tablet idea from a movie. . . a _Disney_ movie. . . anybody? No? Well, if you do know what I'm talking about, maybe you can find it in yourself to find my stupid sense of humor kinda funny. If not, I apologize for that confusing scene.**

**So Kyoko isn't here yet, sorry :-( but she will soon! 'Cuz guess what? Now some some real shit is about to go down! *takes out small gun and night vision goggles* ;-)**

**Oh and how'd you like the length? Better right? (Better, not the best but better than normal!) I'll try to do this type of length more often, if not... I dunno I'm just lazy like that.**

**Also I made a few adjustments to the characters, like some of them are older than they really are in the manga, but this is AU so I can bend a few rules, right? Also Kyoko will be like the one in the beginning of the manga, (all innocent and loving) but don't worry she will change into the fiery orange haired girl we all love (and fear) so much! **

**And just be patient with this procrastinator of an author, plz? :-3 She's a mess.**

**(Man I talk too much, this feels soo long!) So reviews are lovely as are other things! And I'll update sometime this month! (If next month I will try in the first or second week of it, if later I apologize even further.)**


	5. When Will Mogami Arrive?

**Chapter Five: When Will Mogami Arrive?**

It has been three days since the day I received the first collection of information about the Mogami girl. I thought the computerized tablet was the only source of the soon-to-come-agent. I think Lory thought the same thing. But what happened yesterday proved us wrong.

_I exited the elevator to leave for home after a long day full of writing, typing, and hand cramps. Walking through the lobby, I saw Ms. Yee, typing patiently on her desktop computer, almost not noticing me walking by. Finally, her head lifted, she smiled kindly and I waved as I headed for the doors. I stopped in my tracks when I heard her call my name and asked me to wait a moment. I did, and turned to see her petite form shuffle to the mailboxes behind her and take a long envelope out that had only my agent name. Nothing else. Not my full name, the building's address, or where the envelope came from; there wasn't even a stamp. _

_Taking the white envelope from her, I politely bowed and swiftly left the building. In my car, I tuned the envelope on the other side to see a seal that a wax seal was on it. The gray wax was in the form of a star. . . odd. I've never heard of an organization that has this type of seal. I placed the envelope in my glove compartment and drove away. _

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

_Once I entered the apartment flat, I turned on the living room and hall lights and with the envelope in hand, I headed to my kitchen. In that room, I opened the broom closet. After I pushed the regular kitchen items out of my way I was able to see the secret compartment. Stepping inside I opened the drawer and examined the tools that were inside. Cameras, voice changers, guns, detectors, etcetera. . . (don't ask any questions about this, its none of your concern about what I house in my apartment. Even if it __**does**__ go against some various city laws or house regulations.)_

_At the very back of the drawer, I saw the container of acetone and grabbed it. When I was done cleaning the closet, I carefully poured the acid liquid on the seal, watching the gray wax melting, sliding slowly in different directions. I then opened the envelope and took out the single sheet of paper titled: __**"ORG. L.M.E." **__Raising a brow__ and sat in a nearby chair. I opened the neatly folded letter and read the small cursive handwriting._

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

___October 29  
_**_Tsuruga Ren,_**

_This is the association of the L.M.E Agency. __We__ received news on September 24, that your organization __**Nippon Seifu no Shīkurettosābisu(N.S.S) **__has decided to recruit our actress, Mogami Kyoko. First news of this, we immediately declined, after being told what your organization represents. We did not tell our client about the news of recruiting-due to agreeing that telling her would worry her to a point of depression/stress. [And hope this __shall__ not happen in the near future.]_

_Shortly we received another 'invitation' for our client. It was once again declined just as quickly as the last. This act continued for 35 days, neither side __gain__ing any victory. No matter how much __information__ we received about how well your corporation is doing, the terms were not accepted. It wasn't until October 23 that we agreed to the terms of your organization. __Whether__ or not this decision is a rightful and/or lawful one, we cannot confirm, but we trust your organization and believe in our client. __She__ is __a strong willed woman, and will hopefully succeed in her new job in N.S.S. _

_As you may already know, L.M.E has a current television series-drama Dark Moon- that our client is __in. Her role is indeed a large one-third main character- and her skills in her career have increased dramatically. With her taking leave, it will be difficult to find the appropriate woman to replace her- especially since her talents have exceeded our and the audience's expectations- but the series will be continued so our ratings __will __not __perish__, and keep the news of Mogami leaving, undercover from the media. Neither the audience __or__ press will access any information about this project. _

_As this message concludes, we hope this operation will __not__ lead to any harm-emotionally nor physically- to the client. Have a good day, and please contact us whenever needed._

_Signed, L.M.E Agency  
__**L.M.E. Agency**_

_**P.S. Will you please inform us soon if Mogami will be able to return to our agency once her task is complete? Thank you. **_

_-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-**  
**_

_The last sentence was written, but I only ignored that fact, the typist probably left out the sentence and wrote it to save time. I slightly frowned and allowed my fingers to tap the metallic counter's surface. _

_How important is Mogami to them? I understand how big a deal the role must be, but it seems like she has caught their eye in a special way, especially if they are asking our agency-scratch that **me**- to keep her in good condition, and__ t__hey even reassured me that her absence would go unnoticed..._. Sadly I can't guarantee that she shall be in great -let alone good or even fine condition in the end, but of course I will try to guide her, but only to a certain limit. Afterwards she must defend for herself, what ever hell may come her way. 

_I read the letter once more before storing it in my briefcase. Wow, who knew she was that important to her acting agency? How special is she? The thought swam in my mind as I continued my day, working diligently on my laptop and answering emails from colleagues and Lory. For a moment I wanted to ask him if was aware of the letter the L.M.E Agency sent me, or if he had received any information from them. But I decided against it, and kept the letter a secret._

___**-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-**_

And now, here I am sitting in my desk, lazily typing away on my laptop. I try to clear my mind to focus on my work. But nothing works, I'm stuck thinking about the letter. I immediately stop typing and lock my fingers together, resting my head on my fists.

I'm. . . I'm anxious. There, I said it. I want this mission to start soon. Not only for something to do, but also for a breath of fresh air; a new colleague. An apparently special one at that. Not only new to working with me, but to this entire operation. I smirk. This is going to be . . . fun.

A light knock on the doors cause me to raise my head. I walk to the tall brown doors and press a button on the pad beside them. A section of the left door opens to reveal a flat screen, showing me the image of the person outside in the hall. The grey image of Agent Hoshi appears. I stare, a bit in awe. She has never addressed me in this manner. It was always through a call to my cellphone or an email.

She gently knocks again, but an aggravated look on appears her face. I open the doors. Her form stands before me, wearing a a white button up shirt, brown suit pants and black heels. She is holding a considerable handful of papers. Her hair is noticeable shorter-to a trained eye that is. Instead of flowing to her waist, it now rests in mid-back. Before I greet her, she beckons me and turns away, walking down the hall. Following her, I decide to break the awkward silence between us.

"This is quite sudden," I say, "what is the reason behind this?" She doesn't reply. In fact it seems as if she is pretending she can't hear me. We continue walking. For a moment I consider asking her about her haircut, but knowing her it would probably only annoy her.

Finally, we arrive at Lory's office. Of course, she's playing Lory's messenger. She knocks before entering, holding the door open so I can follow her inside the dark room. Lory is siting behind his desk, clicking away on his computer, the screen light shining on his face. He looks up at us when he hears the doors shut behind me. Agent Hoshi quickly walks to him and whispers something in his ear that I cannot hear. Lory's brow creases, and his half lidded eyes glance at me. I stay still for a moment, before almost cautiously moving to his couch, feeling uncomfortable under his sharp glance. My back is to them, but I can still hear them mumble things to one another. Sometimes their hushed voices grow louder, perhaps from surprise or anger, but would always become quiet once again.

About five minutes have passed. I hear Hoshi's heels click as she seats her self in a leather chair that sits to my left. She flips a few strands of her hair out of her face before looking at me. Her eyes connect with mine for a brief moment, then she looks away, seeing Lory seat himself in a chair in from of us. I shake my head and watch our boss light a cigar. Doesn't this man ever take a break from those?

He puffs a smokey circle at me as if to grab my attention. My nose almost automatically wrinkles as the older man speaks, smoke oozing out his mouth.

"Welcome back Hoshi, welcome Ren," We nod when he addresses us, then he continues. "As Hoshi has told you already Ren, your new mission is going to include new techniques, and weapons. And of course you know about the new agent who shall join you." He stopped and looked at Hoshi, I saw that she was a bit stiff and her eyes were looking down at her lap. "And," I look at Lory who flicks ashes into an ashtray. "Ren, we now have the date she is going to arrive."

I don't respond, and wait for him to continue, a patient expression on my face. Although inside I feel as if an weight is being lifted. "It is a bit early for our tastes, but nonetheless it is a pretty nice time in order for us to complete this mission as soon as we can."

He stops and takes a drag on his cigar, as if trying to make me anxious for the date. In my head I roll my eyes, and take the bait just as he expected, "When will Mogami arrive?"

Looking to my eye level, he smirks. I wait for him to say the answer. After a moment he says, "She will arrive in a day or two."

I nod and watch him sigh and take the thick cigar out of his mouth. "As you can tell she shall be here during you two's training period."

"Wait, two?" I ponder aloud. Hoshi sighs and I can almost hear her eyes rolling.

"Yes Ren, that's why I am here with you. I'm going to be working with you and Mogami. Mo, I thought you were bright enough to figure that out easily." She grumbles the last part under her breath so Lory wouldn't hear her but so I could. I glare at her before our boss grabs our attention by coughing.

"Now then Ren, Hoshi and Mogami will be with you as -actually, the _three_ of you- train. This month's training schedule is going to be full and busy. Especially since you shall have to teach Mogami the basics of our works."

I feel an annoyed groan in my throat but I silence it before it surfaces. I merely stay quiet, not moving.

"Sir," Hoshi asks "Have you decided if we shall extend the training schedule?" She ruffles through the papers in her lap. "It seems as if we shall have to add on another month or even two if we are going to teach Mogami the basics alongside with our mission requirements." She hands him a sheet of paper, but surprisingly Lory crumples the sheet in his large hand and tosses it behind him onto his desk.

Hoshi's eyes widen slightly as she keeps her eyes on the undesired sheet. Lory closes his eyes and sighs. "One month Hoshi... Ren will make sure that is all the time the girl needs."

My own eyes widen at this. Wait, just me? That's quite a bit of responsibility! And for a complete... well newbie? I'm sure the cigar smoke has finally leaked into this man's head and clouded his thinking process. I open my mouth to speak, but Lory's hand raises to silence me. One of his eyes slowly open to gaze into mine. Stunned I lean back into the couch cushion and look at my lap. I see in the corners of my eyes Hoshi squirm, as if uncomfortable in the chair.

"Won't you Ren?" the older man asks me... I don't think he really expects me to answer. I think it's more of a hidden command.

I don't move, a bit frightened by the aura the man is setting. A bit demanding and irritated. Not a good combination...

Five minutes of silence pass before Lory stands and stretches a large warm hand to me, and another to Hoshi. We shake, ending our meeting.

Outside the room Hoshi and I take a deep breath and sigh. She looks at me, her eyes still icy but not in a mean manner, but as if it is there automatic appearance. A small grin tugs at the corners of her mouth as she whispers, "It's official. I need to do something with those cigars of his."

I raise a brow, teasingly and ask, "And why is that Agent Hoshi?"

She closes her eyes as she slowly walks away saying, "The polluted smoke has finally reached his brain."

I laugh quietly to myself and watch as she walks out of my vision toward her station, before walking back to my office. This mission _**is**_ going to be interesting after all.

* * *

**A/N: Damn... it's been a whlie eh? Heh. Well I'm sorry for the wait, this summer has been a busy one for me and my family with traveling and such. OK well I decided to speed things along and show:**

**1. Who the bloody heck Agent Hoshi is (Mo.. thought I could keep it a secret for a while longer x-D)  
2. When Mogami shall appear (OK OK you guys have waited long enough... I think x-D)  
3. Yes, Ren, Hoshi and Kyoko WILL be working together in future chapters. (Now that you now who Hoshi is, this ought to be fun huh? ;-P)  
****4. And... I'm torturing Ren by having him do MOST of the work of teaching the young and (for now) innocent Mogami... If he could he would kill me for this! Tehehe!**

**Alright, REVIEWS PLEASE! PRETTY PLEASE! I'M ON MY KNEES! (No really I am) I love them... and FAVES AND OTHER ALERTS! :-D They show me if I'm doing well and your opinion on how things are going along. ..I have Internet Cookies for you who comment and hugs for you who fave and etc. (yes I have reduced myself to bribery... deal with it for now x-P)**

**Tah tah for now~! (...I feel like I'm forgetting something...)**

**P.S. Short again... I am so so so sorry! Please don't remind me on its length in the reviews... I tried to make it longer... but the letter was hard enough! It had to seem professional... which was pretty difficult for someone who has never paid attention to how to write a business letter in school. I regret it...**

**(And I still don't remember it! D-x Grr!)**


	6. Who's Car?

**Chapter Six: Who's Car?**

**********Disclaimer: Don't own Skip-Beat! It belongs to the rightful owner, ****Nakamura Yoshiki.**

_Flashback: Lory closes his eyes and sighs. "One month Hoshi... Ren will make sure that is all the time the girl needs."  
"Won't you Ren?" the older man asks me._

_A few moments of silence pass before Lory stands and stretches a large warm hand to me, and another to Hoshi. We shake, ending our meeting, and signing an invisible contract._

* * *

A day or two. One or two days... way too soon for me. The thought passes through my mind as I clutch the steering wheel a bit tighter than needed, and keep my unchanging gaze out on the road. I replay the keywords of the meeting with Lory and Agent Hoshi. _Train. Agent. Month. Enough. Time-_

"**Oi! Ren! The light is red! What are you doing?" **The scream from my left pulls me back to reality in time to see that I am millisecond away from getting a ticket. The car abruptly stops as Specs and I severely fall forward in our and fall back against our seats.

I sigh and look at my frozen friend. A grin forms on my lips at the sight of nervousness and fright behind in his eyes. Somehow I find his current state to be slightly amusing (...I'm a good friend, OK? I'm just a bit... distraught in the head at the moment.) His hands are pressed over his heart and his pupils small with surprise and terror circling about. As the car moves again down the street I hear my friend let out a shaky irritated sigh.

"Ren," he begins, while trying to regulate his breathing, "this is the second time this has happened since I've gotten in your car." I feel his eyes glance at me to see any sign of why I am acting like this. "Is there something heavy on your mind?"

As I slow down to a stop at the red light. "I appreciate your concern as a friend Specs," I say in an assuring voice, "But it's absolutely nothing that you should be concerned with." I grin at him to try and egg him away from pushing his way into my mind. Unfortunately I grinned to soon.

"Oh really? It's not what's keeping you from realizing that the light has been green for a while right?" he asks suspiciously and narrows his eyes.

I look forward, seeing the green light shining and hearing the several car horns beeping at me to move. I press my foot hurriedly on the pedal and turn almost abruptly to the left and down the next street. A few moments pass with tension filling the air, and the city flashing by.

Finally I see Specs adjust his glasses and relax with a long sigh. "Okay Ren. If you say so." I glance at him, then immediately then turn my eyes back on the road. I feel a wave of content at his response as we continue to drive down the quiet street, nearing the apartment building.

Once in front of the building we say our, slightly awkward, goodbyes and Specs strolls inside the building.

On the drive to my home, I make sure to keep my senses alert and to focus on the road. But my mind keeps swerving back to the pressure Lory has put on me. I still cannot seem to be able to configure a reason that he would give ME the responsibilities of training Mogami. I mean, why doesn't he assign Mogami to Hoshi? She seems more capable of getting the newbie in shape in time for the mission.

But then again, I guess I can understand why I have to train her. I mean, well I don't want to seem as if I'm boasting or anything of that sort, but... I _am _a pretty good agent. Heh heh, okay a damn good agent. And sure I know how our operations usually work like the back of my hand. Not to mention I have more patience than most of the people in this organization... oh. Perhaps that's why Hoshi wasn't chosen. Her patience lasts as long as a burning sheet of paper.

Back to the issue at hand! As I slide out the car and buzz inside my apartment building, my ideas started to turn for the worse. Is Lory becoming desperate to see me in a relationship now? I mean, if he is, it surely wouldn't be the first time he's done something of the sort. Once he assigned me a mission to steal an 'oh-so-top-secret-mission' to steal a document from this young woman who he claimed hacked our systems to retrieve classified information. Long story short, the only thing stolen was my words, my dignity, oh yeah and my shirt somehow disappeared in the midst of things.

I'm off track again... But basically I'm praying to the heavens that this isn't a way to force me on the dating bandwagon. And that Mogami isn't in on any perverse plan of Lory's.

Once I enter the somewhat darkened room of my flat, a feeling of contempt flows though my body. All thoughts and silly ideas of Lory and Mogami leave my mind. And for the rest of the evening I relax to a warm sohwer, an hour of reading, some television and a long peaceful sleep.

**-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-**

"Ren...Princ-...you...important!" Damned intercom...acting up again. I press the button on my desk and ask Ms. Yee to tell Lory that I'm on my way. I strut quickly out the door and head for Lory's office, not knowing in the slightest bit as to what I was being called in for. Of course moments before I reach the large brown doors I hear a hushed 'psst', and from who else but Specs? I see him waving to me and I roll my eyes as I walk to his cubicle.

"Do you know what's up with Hoshi and Principal?" He asks, curiously.

Huh, no jokes today? That's different. I curve a brow and shake my head. Hoshi and Lory? "No," I say, and tilt my head to the side. "Why?"

Then, Specs spins his chair around to face me completely. "You see," he points in the direction of Lory's office. "Hoshi has been in there for three hours now. She hasn't come out once. Neither has Principal."

The look on my face is unwavering as Specs places a hand on his chin. For a brief moment he stays in the same pose, apparently thinking of what might be going on behind the closed doors. But he only shrugs and places his hands behind his head as he leans back in his chair.

"Anyway, some rumors are going around that Principal has decided to give Hoshi the boot." He laughs to himself before continuing. "Who can believe such a thing like that? She's way too professional to be fired. She keeps others organized, is informative, and a terrific mission guide."

The orbs behind his glasses glint a moment as he looks up into my eyes. "A pretty great partner too..."

...I was waiting for him to say something like this. I sigh and shake my head as I turn away. Before I walk out of Spec's cubicle I hear him whisper, "Oh yeah, there's also a rumor that some newbie is here."

I stop in my tracks and turn around to face the blonde. His expression is bored along with his body language. He only shrugs and turns to his work, not looking at me as he says, "But hey, I don't know. With so many rumors going around I don't know what to believe. Some people are even saying that they're having an affair with each other." He chuckles and turns back to his work.

After cringing from the last comment, I briskly walk inside Lory's office. The room is lit, more than usual. I see Lory looking out a window, and Hoshi pacing in a small circle, her arms behind her back and her eyes narrow. They glance at me once the door clicks shut. I see Lory beckoning me to the long window in front of him. I obey and stand next to him, looking down first at the empty parking lot, then at the other buildings below us. I feel a sudden relief knowing that the man isn't smoking at the time.

For a few moments nobody says a word, we could only hear the city outside of the building and Hoshi's heels against the carpeted floor. It isn't too long though that Lory speaks.

"How do you feel Ren?" he asks, not looking away from the view.

"Excuse me sir?" I ask, doing the same.

"The mission. A new partner. And training her. How do you feel about it all?"

"Well, actually I've been feeling rather, er pressured."

"Really? How so?" his voice sounds generously curious.

"You see Lory," I look lazily at the city instead of the parking lot. "I don't understand completely of why you would bestow this responsibility on me. And not someone else."

I feel his eyes on me as I continue, "Its not that I don't want it sir. I only mean that it seems rather sudden."

He chuckles lightly, "Well we haven't had a new agent in a while."

"Yes. That's what I mean. With all the other agents over the years, you've given them to others, there are even positions that you had agents take to specifically train agents. This is the first time I've trained anyone. I may be a good agent sir, but... why me? And why now?"

Lory's eyelids droop, and his lips purse into a line. I hear Hoshi's footsteps stop as her cellphone rings. Lory abruptly turns to face her. Confused, I look up at him, watching for his next move.

Once Hoshi hangs up, Lory aks anxiously, "Was that Haku?"

Hoshi nods and says, "He said that the car is pulling up." She moves to stand next to us and looks down at the parking lot. When I glance down I see a small dark grey car parking in the lot. I raise a brow as I see three figures get out of the vehicle. I look up to see Lory's shining eyes and Hoshi's narrow violet eyes watching the figures move to the entrance. "Who's car is that?" I ask, waiting for either of them to reply.

They both turned to the doors, walking out. I follow close to their heels and hear Lory's cheery voice as we walk out the doors, "Come along Ren. We don't want to keep Mogami waiting!"

* * *

**A/N: .. ugh, I wish I could stop these insane writer blocks... but they keep hopping back on the 'Give Brownie-a-hard-time- wagon', and make me take longer to write an effin chapter! Ugh, well now that I've gotten this far, I'm going to say it... With the ending to this chapter written like that, I can stop all this boring crap. (God, even _I'm_ tired of it.) I think these may have been my in-the-midst-of-a-writer's-block chapters... I'm amazed I went this far with them. X-D Sorry for boring you for so long!**

**OK! Now the fun stuff can start rollin' in. . almost. . |-L**

**Hmm let's see... I think I'm going to start using 'Specs' less... maybe I'll give him another nickname or just use his real name... Hm, what do you guys think? Specs less or the same?**

**Review and stuff! They really keep me happy and encouraged to not give up on this little story :-) Alright, I'm gonna pass out from the heat now. Bye!**


	7. How About It Ren?

**Chapter Seven: Sacrifice**

**************Disclaimer: Don't own Skip-Beat! It belongs to the rightful owner, ****Nakamura Yoshiki.**

_Flashback: I raise a brow as I see three figures get out of the vehicle. I look up to see Lory's shining eyes and Hoshi's narrow violet eyes watching the figures move to the entrance. "Who's car is that?" I ask, waiting for either of them to reply._

_They both turned to the doors, walking out. I follow close to their heels and hear Lory's cheery voice as we walk out the doors, "Come along Ren. We don't want to keep Mogami waiting!"_

* * *

For the last twelve minutes we have been waiting in room A3. No word from Haru on his whereabouts. The clicking of Hoshi's nails on the glass table is slowly striking a nerve. The sharp ticking of the clock doesn't help. A breath I didn't know I was holding in releases. I rest my chin on my clasped hands.

My eyes look up at the older man seated at the head of the table. His alligator skin clad feet are propped up on the edge of the tabletop, long legs crossed at the ankle. Leaning into back his aniline leather chair, he taps his slender fingers against one another in a slow, pondering motion. A bored expression is etched across his face. Thin lips are pursed into a line, and brown eyes seem to stare dully at the air.

"Haru _did _say he was here," Hoshi mutters. I glance over at her, watching manicured nails click away. "So what's taking him so long? What, is he lost or something?" She closes her eyes in annoyance and scowls.

We hear a low chuckle from the head of the table. With a merry grin on his face, eyes gleaming, and one of his hands cupping the side of his face, Lory leans on the chair arm.

"No need for the impatient attitude Hoshi," he laughs, "Haku has been in this building quite a few times, and more so than not to visit this very room in particular."

This doesn't seem to help bring ease to our fellow agent at all. She simply sits upright in her chair and crosses her arms. A quick huff is her only reply.

The sound of a click on the far side of the room brings our attention to the door opening.

"Hm, and not a moment too soon! Wouldn't you agree Hoshi?" Lory jokes, moving his feet off the table. She keeps quiet, but I notice her roll her eyes curtly.

As we stand behind our chairs we watch three figures walk into the room. Slowly approaching are two men and a woman.

One of the men looks quite sharp, with a head of short edgy auburn hair; tinted shades; an onyx suit; and a hazel tie. He is thin, but not in a frail sense, and is mere inches shorter than the woman. To be honest, considering the fact that he's an older man, he's not just short- he's_ remarkably_ short. If I hadn't known we were doing business with him I'd think he was a high schooler who got lost and walked in here or something.

The other man is taller than the others. He reminds me of a bodyguard. His shoulders are slightly broader than the other man's. Full, black spiked hair covers his head. He wears a murky colored suit with a crimson tie. Tinted shades cover his eyes also. I notice the shine of piercings in his ears.

Finally, my eyes fall upon the woman. She is dressed in a dark short sleeved jacket with blue buttons, a white blouse showing underneath, and a snowy knee length skirt. Her hair is tied back into a ponytail. Although she is looking up, her eyes are cast down, as if she's uncomfortable with the idea of eye contact.

So, I suppose this is Mogami? Funny. As ridiculous as it may sound (okay, as it _does_ sound) I somewhat expected an exact replica of the girl in the photo. Fry cook uniform and all. Yes that's quite silly, especially for someone who will be a part of this organization, but I suppose the ridiculous uniform simply suited her in my eyes. But I must admit, the formal attire does give her the look of a professional.

As they approach us, Lory steps up to the shorter man; the later smiles and bows, "Takarada-sama! Good to see you again sir,"

The lightly bearded man does the same, "Same to you Ishibashi Hikaru-san."

Wait, Hikaru? I thought he said the man's name was Ha-

In a flash Hoshi approaches Lory and leans in to urgently whisper in his ear. Even from where I'm standing I can tell she is the confused. As a response to whatever she said, being the man he is, Lory only smiles warmly and chuckles. I grin seeing that this seems to unnerve Hoshi as she bites her lip.

Lory glances at me, already figuring that I was thinking the same thing as Hoshi. "I'm sorry for misleading you two," he starts off, "Haku is merely the name Hikaru-san refers himself as. Well by me anyway."

The man whom Lory is referring to nods and smiles, taking off his shades to reveal almond brown eyes. "Indeed. Takarada-sama and myself have agreed to use different names when referring to each other while around other people,"

"Yes, like the code names the agents use! It's a sense of privacy is all," My lips tug into a half grin at their response although my eyes narrow. And knowing her, Hoshi is most likely doing her best to keep all comments about how Lory _'didn't trust her'_ quiet.

Okay then, moving on. The young man -whose name is supposedly, Ishibashi- walks towards Hoshi and I and bows. We bow respectfully back, and state our _real_ names as opposed to our _code_ names. (cough cough) Truthfully, I would never say this aloud but bowing to an grown man the height of a teenager is pretty awkward.

Next, the dark haired man steps forward, and introduces himself as Sanataro Shinichi. We bow and introduce ourselves again.

After a few hesitant beats, the young woman steps forward. Her torso bows low with a controlled grace behind it. ". . . M-Mogami Kyok-ko," she whispers so softly that my ears strain to hear her.

Yep, I can totally see a pale, blushing fry cook from the photo standing here. Definitely.

Hoshi bows first. "Kotonami Kanae," She dips low, and as she rises up her head is ducked down. Strange.

Now then, my turn eh? Time to leave a good first impression.

In a matter of milliseconds my lips tug into a bright smile as I bow slowly, "Tsuruga Ren, glad to make your acquaintance Mogami," Five points for velvety voice, and another five for a smile that melts the roughest of exteriors. Survey says?

The girl's eyes widen and her shoulders quiver slightly. With a hurrying to the table, her skirt practically billowing behind her. Of course, I still got it!

Once Mogami and Company are seated across Hoshi and myself, Lory remains standing and grins, his eyes beginning to glimmer. "Very good," he announces cheerily, "Now that introductions are over let us begin shall we?"

Here we go.

**-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-**

"Understanding these terms and conditions of this job along with the objectives of the mission we are placing onto you, Mogami-san, do you agree to these responsibilities and expectancies? Including your inactivity in your career for however long of a time period; whether be temporary or permanent?" Lory's voice is steady, and focused. He had long ago stopped taking this or any thing about his proposal lightly. It was time to make the deal.

It has been two long hours of contract drafting, editing, and revising, followed by a few heated discussions over how the L.M.E company must be sure to keep quiet about their actress's absence and to keep the drama she running smoothly, and all in all. . . a refreshing bottle of water and a cozy nap sounds great right about now.

My head hurts like hell. I'm beginning to wonder if there's a loony lumberjack in my head hacking at the nerves in my brain. And by the sounds of it, Hoshi sounds quite irritated too with that constant damned clicking. And good God that clock! With all that ticking! Wait Ren, take a breath and calm down. You're just tired is all.

One deep sigh later, I feel the atmosphere changing. Tension as thick as cotton fills the air. My eyes slowly open to see Mogami's eyes focused on the completed five papers thick contract that we have all agreed upon. All she has to do is sign it. Good, then this meeting can be over and done with and I can get some rest.

But what's between me and that delicious rest is the fact that Mogami seems hesitant. A little too hesitant. She couldn't possibly thinking about rejecting this, well not like she really could.

Takarada Lory is a persistent man, and I'll put it like this. When there are seven-point-four seconds left on the clock for the auction for exclusive shoes designed by Noritaka Tatehana(1) that are now priced at 490,402 yen, he'll be damned if he sees the shoes go under another name that it isn't his, and will do _everything_ in his power to get them. . . Well would you look at that? I'm so tired I'm not thinking straight. . . where is this story even going? Um, well the point is, Lory gets what he wants. No questions asked, capiche?

**Click tap. . Click tap. . Click tap. .**

Ugh I'll just clip those pretty little nails off myself if I hear them one more time! Surprisingly, my gaze doesn't meet Hoshi's nails, instead I see Mogami holding a pen. She's pressing the top on the table repeatedly, rhythmically. Looking up, I see her biting her lower lip, and her topaz eyes scanning over the paper in front of her.

"Do you agree to these responsibilities and expectancies, along with the fact that you will be sacrificing your career for however long of a time period; whether be temporary or permanent?" The line is repeated once more, echoing throughout the almost vacant room. Lory's voice is passive and gentle, as if he wasn't asking the girl to make a life-changing choice, but would she would like some cookies and a glass of milk.

Mogmi's eyes narrow.

I must admit, if I were in the position of this young woman, I'd probably be furious and rip the contract into shreds before hurrying to the exit to take the next cab. By agreeing to become my partner and a part of N.S.S -a government spy agency for crying out loud!- she will not be able to go about her life as she normally would. She'll have to be distant and vague with her friends about her life, and probably relocate, as a few of our agents did.

But what must hurt the most is the knowledge that she is leaving a career that she has worked so hard for, and turn to a job structured around secrecy, knowing the reason you get up every day is so you can keep our people safe, and possibly a deadly amount of lack of sleep.

Okay, all jokes aside I sincerely don't blame her. Not like I chose to be here by will myself.

Hikarmi and Shinichi look closely at their actress. Sometimes they say a few words, like _'_you don't have to do this if you don't want to'. But it's very clearby the small frowns on their lips, they know there is nothing they can do. It's their company against the government. What more can you do? And Mogami knows it too.

With a heavy sigh Mogami places the pen down, and her eyelids slowly fall, "I don't mean to be so hesitant," she says apologetically. "But, I have a question," she glances at each of us as she speaks, as if asking permission to continue.

Lory, Hoshi and I nod. "From what I understand," she continues. "By signing the contract, I am agreeing to the idea of relocating, correct?"

"Well, you don't have to," I offer. "Under these type of circumstances, it's merely a choice,"

The younger woman nods and mutters an 'I understand'. After a short pause she continues, "And what if I said that I choose to be relocated?"

What?

"And why would you want that?" Hoshi asks. My thoughts exactly.

Mogami wrings her hands a bit before continuing, "Um, well, it's for the safety of this organization actually. I know that in the contract it states that L.M.E has agreed that all information the company knows about N.S.S and this meeting will not be spoken about to the public, and somehow they will replace my role with another actress. But what about the photographers from gossip magazines and the paparazzi? They'll start snooping around the hotel once they learn that I've left, and one day, I may accidentally lead them here and. . and. . ."

She doesn't have to finish. All of us at this table understand the hell that would break loose if that were to happen.

I nod. Mogami seems to take this opportunity to finish her thought. "A-And, with that in mind, on my own account, I choose to relocate,"

Lory curves a brow thoughtfully. Wow, dislocating? By will? I must say, this girl has some guts.

"Very well Mogmai-san, then you shall! And under the very best protection we have. Right, Ren?" Excuse me but, was that _my_ name in that sentence? No, it couldn't be.

"Uh, how about what?" I ask uncertainly.

"I believe what he is trying to say," Hoshi intervenes, crossing her arms across her chest and closing her eyes, "is whether you accept the proposal or not, we will see to it that Kyoko will move into your accommodations."

. . .

. . .

"S-She'll be where now?" I stutter aloud.

"Your place as previously stated, Ren, please keep up," Lory says sternly, although his grin is anything but. "Well? How about it?"

He's joking. He has to be. There's no way I can take her in, I-I don't have the space! Okay so maybe I do, in fact there's probably enough room for a small family in my apartment. (I don't know not like I checked!) But I can't take this _stranger_ in out of nowhere! And right now, especially a female! And can I. . . can I just not want to do it? Why couldn't Hoshi take her in? Or any other agent? Or even better, get book her into a motel! Excuse me for sounding rude, but I simply cannot do this. They all must understand this. Especially Lory! Ohh. **_Especially. Lory._**

My mouth opens and my confident reply of 'no' comes out.

"Wonderful!" Wait, what?

"In that case, Hikaru-san and Sanataro-san, please have her packed within 24 to 36 hours," What is he talking about?

"And Ren, I expect you to respectfully and warmly welcome your new partner, and now roommate." No. No! I said **no! **Didn't I?

My eyes helplessly watch the name 'Mogami Kyoko' appear on the solid line at the bottom of the contract. A small pale hand reaches out towards me, "I'll do my best through the future," Oh my God. I said yes, didn't I?

Unable to stop myself I take her hand in mine. I feel her hand shake meekly. "Please take care of me Tsuruga-san," she smiles and then bows her head.

Well shit.

* * *

**(****tl;dr is below underlined)****  
**

**A/N: (Half assed the end since it's 4 in the morning here sorry. . and God I'm terrible with Japanese honorifics.)  
So, Kyoko is now in the friggin' picture! So, now what'll happen? And will Ren be up for the challenge? Find out next ti- *bricks and rotten tomatos thrown at me, knocking me down***

**Readers: *holds fire and glares at me* What was the holdup loser?**

**Me: . . . *Kyoko-style-dogeza* I am oh so so so so sorry guys! :,-( Dear God, I haven't updated in a year! SCREEECH. I'm a terrible author, I KNOW. And although nothing I say, er write, will make up for my absence to you guys, I'm still going to explain. **

**First, the Killer Writer's Block. That bastard killed my muse. Like a savage. Nothing was left behind; it hid all evidence of my muse ever existing. **

**And reporting the incident to the Writing Police helped nothing so I decided to write out some crap- so I don't let you guys down and this story just ends up being a piece of shit- I made a [former] SB playlist chapter, which was crap, but I just wanted to get the creative juices flowing to help my muse revive in any way possible. That didn't help much.**

**But what pissed me off was that not too long after I had started write a few paragraphs at a time and. . .well, I'll put it this way. You know how Yashiro's (bare)hands are like butter when it comes to touching technology? Well actually phones, but anyway, I had one of those episodes. . **

**Like in late August, being the technological disaster I am, I dropped my laptop . . . outside . . . on bricks. . . It's a dumb story and yeah I know having the capabilities to do something that stupid sounds bad . . . but this isn't the first time something like that has happened to anything that happens to be in my possession! ( . . .and that helped nothing!)**

**Then my mum and dad made it a big deal about how **_**I**_** would pay for it, aaaannd long story short after a month, my dad just got it fixed but gave me a lecture about my clumsiness with expensive things. (It's funny it's like if something costs more than 100 dollars bad things happen to it.)**

**And school has started being a butt! D-: But with it being at home it shouldn't take away from my writing too much. . I don't know.**

**Now that that's done, I would like to quickly say that once the laptop was fixed I checked up on & edited this a bit. And to say I merely smiled at the fact that you guys are still interested in this **_**incredible **_**mess of a story would truly be an understatement. I will try my best to keep the story going. . . Not gonna make promises anymore after being unproductive for a year now, but I'll do my best! *Kyoko-determination-GO!***

**Readers: . . . whatever loser, just update sooner next time or else.**

**Me: |-D Y-yeah, okay.**

**tl;dr: I am horrible at updating, a grade A klutz, this story is slowly getting somewhere (sorry it's taking so long), writer's block is a bitch and you guys are the best. Bye!**

**Note: (1) Noritaka Tatehana - famous shoe designer in Japan**


	8. AN

OK let's cut the BS and get to the point shall we? One, school has really picked up this year since I'm working on having enough credits to get my GED this time next year and I'm also going through some personal changes/issues.

Two, I had no idea this would be happening, so once again my promise to you guys to update is broken. Gomen...

Three- and I guess you could say it's a more of a confession; this story was intentionally an experiment. A little bunny-plot-popped-in-my-head idea. Like Cole Sprouse and tumblr, it was an experiment (OK that was dumb forget I said that). I wrote the first chapter with **no plot** in mind, **no idea** where it would go, **no idea** how it would end. **Nothing. Nada.** So that's why it's **so** terribly slow paced and boring… I just don't know where this story is going right now. You can pretty much tell by the fact that it's been three fricking years now and I only have what, seven chapters up? (Really? SEVEN? Christ sake…)

But thank you so much for the comments and follows, and really just taking the time out of your wonderful day to view my story, it's really cool to see people are enjoying this!

So I think I pretty much lost people's attention by uploading this crap instead of an actual chapter… My apologies... I can promise one thing for sure. (Lol another promise? Yeah right. But seriously.)And it's that this story **will be finished**. ONE DAY. NO MATTER HOW LONG IT IF IT'S ANOTHER TWO YEARS! Unless I suddenly died, then there'd be a problem there, no? (Omg this is like f(x) and EXO's comeback, just waiting and waiting… why'd I make that reference that was weird… ;;)

Bye, love ya guys! _(apparently I love strangers whom I've never spoken to before haha...ok ignore me it's 2AM and I should be asleep_)  
**BHF out. **


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